Daily Briefing: Things Fall Apart
•Republican congressional leaders ready to forfeit fight for Social Security overhaul; complaints directed atRove.Graham: "We are stuck." [ WP , WT ]
• Bush, frustrated, will "streamline his message" on Iraq and the economy.Bartlett: "The president will sharpen his focus." [ WP , USAT ]
•Lawmakers are talking "exit strategy" for Iraq. [ NYT , WSJ ]
•White House intervenes to avert anti-U.N. bill pushed by Republican leadership. [ WP , NYT ]
•Administration opts to send no-name ambassador to U.N. anniversary celebration instead ofBush, Rice. [ NYT ]
•House knocks down Patriot Act provision that enabled library snooping.Sanders: "Congress has begun to hear that civil liberties and privacy issues are important to Americans." [ WP , NYT ]
•Many lawmakers have financial interests in energy bill due to their investments;DeLay, Reidare among those who have disclosed owning related stocks. [ WSJ ]
•Debate over the Congressional response toSchiavois ongoing; autopsy proves condition "was irreversible." [ NYT , WP , USAT ]
• Bidenblocks nomination ofDina Powellto be deputy under secretary of state for public diplomacy. [ NYT ]
•Democratic Senators express dismay over Gitmo;Spectertries a power grab. [ WP , WT , USAT ]
•Energy bill is focused on oil independence.Bush: "Now is the time to stop the debate and the partisan bickering, and pass an energy bill." [ WP , NYT , WT ]
• Rove, Bartlett, Card, Hadleyare sitting on millions of dollars of personal investment holdings. [ WP ]
•Head ofBush's Millennium Challenge Account resigns. [ NYT ]
•Evangelical Protestant Republicans, more than any other group, trust lawmakers with legal questions over the courts, especially on gay marriage, according to poll. [ WP ]
•Conservative Christian leaders may unite for '08 endorsement. [ USAT ]
• Tom HanksasW. Mark Felt? Family receives around $1m in joint book, film deal. [ WP , NYT ]